The next day at Hollywood Arts was like any other—students milling about, rehearsing scenes in the hallway, music echoing from various classrooms. But as soon as Robbie approached the group at their usual lunch table, it was clear that something was off.

"Hey guys," he greeted, his voice laced with a hint of irritation that no one could miss. He adjusted Rex on his arm, the puppet's expression somehow just as judgmental as Robbie's tone. "So… how was Karaoke Dokie last night?"

Jade stiffened, her eyes narrowing immediately, while Cat, sitting beside her, bit her lip nervously. Tori and Andre exchanged guilty glances, knowing this was bound to get awkward. None of them had mentioned the impromptu karaoke hangout to Robbie—and Robbie hated being left out.

"It was fun!" Cat blurted out before she could stop herself, her usual bubbly tone undermined by a wave of uncertainty. "We sang and… um, chatted."

Jade shot her a sideways glare, but Cat couldn't help it. She hated lying. But telling the truth was complicated, and Jade had made it clear she wanted to keep things about them quiet. Robbie didn't need to know everything, at least not yet.

"Fun?" Robbie repeated, his voice sharpening. "Yeah, I'm sure it was. You know what wasn't fun? Sitting at home and seeing the group selfie on Tori's Slap page."

Rex's head turned dramatically toward Jade. "Guess you only invite uncool people. Makes sense why we weren't there."

Jade's jaw tightened, ready to snap back with something biting, but Cat cut in before the conversation could escalate. "It wasn't like that, Robbie," she said, her voice soft and apologetic. "It was kind of last-minute. We didn't think you'd mind."

"Didn't think I'd mind?" Robbie repeated, his eyes wide with disbelief. "I'm your friend! Why wouldn't you invite me? You invited Tori, Jade and Andre."

Tori shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "To be fair, we weren't originally supposed to go either. It just… sort of happened."

Andre nodded in agreement, trying to help ease the tension. "Yeah, man. I had work and wasn't even planning to go, but things changed."

Robbie's face, however, remained clouded with hurt. "It just feels like lately you guys are doing stuff without me, and I'm not part of it anymore." His gaze lingered on Cat and Jade, suspicion creeping in. "Especially you two."

Jade stiffened but kept her expression neutral, her mind racing. She knew this moment would come eventually—Robbie was bound to notice something was different between her and Cat. He watched Cat like a hawk, but she wasn't ready for that conversation. Not yet.

Cat's face softened as she turned to Robbie, clearly feeling guilty. "Robbie, you're still part of the group! We just—" she faltered, glancing at Jade for guidance. Jade's warning look made her hesitate. "It was just one time. We didn't mean to leave you out."

"Yeah," Robbie said, his voice tinged with bitterness. "Sure feels like more than one time."

Rex's plastic face leaned closer. "You guys are shady. But hey, I guess not everyone can handle this level of charisma," the puppet quipped.

Jade's patience snapped. She glared at Rex, her voice dripping with annoyance. "If I wanted commentary from a five-dollar sock puppet, I'd go talk to my laundry."

"Whoa, chill," Tori said, raising her hands in an attempt to calm things down. "No one's trying to make anyone feel bad here."

"Then why do I feel bad?" Robbie shot back, the hurt clear in his voice now. "I mean, we're supposed to be friends, right? And lately, it feels like everyone's keeping stuff from me."

Andre sighed, clearly feeling the tension but unsure how to resolve it. "Look, Robbie, I get it. You feel left out, but it's not like that. It was just one night, man."

Robbie's eyes flicked toward Cat again, but she couldn't meet his gaze. "I just feel like there's something you're not telling me. Something big."

Jade, noticing the mounting pressure, stepped in with her usual bluntness. "Not everything has to be about you, Robbie. Maybe we just wanted some space for one night."

Cat winced at Jade's harsh tone, but Robbie looked even more hurt. "Yeah, okay, I get it," he muttered, standing up abruptly. "I'm always the odd one out."

Before anyone could stop him, Robbie turned and walked off, Rex's head still dramatically turned toward the group as they left.

Cat's face fell as she watched him go. "I didn't want him to feel bad," she murmured, guilt evident in her voice.

Jade sighed, running a hand through her hair. "He'll get over it. He's just being overly sensitive, like always."

Tori frowned, looking between the two of them. "I don't know, Jade. He kind of has a point. We didn't exactly handle this well."

Andre nodded in agreement. "We're his only friends. Of course, he's gonna feel left out if something's going on."

Cat bit her lip, glancing nervously at Jade. "Maybe we should've told him, y'know… about us."

Jade's expression hardened, though there was a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. "We don't have to tell anyone anything. This is our relationship, and it's none of their business."

Cat nodded, though she still looked troubled. She hated lying, especially to Robbie, who had been one of her closest friends throughout Highschool. Sure things were a little weird sometimes with Robbie pining after her. But Jade was right, what they had was private, and it wasn't time to share it with everyone just yet. Even if that meant keeping it from someone as close as Robbie.

Tori, sensing the tension, tried to offer a middle ground. "Maybe someone can just explain it to him later. Let him cool off first."

Andre added, "Yeah, no need to rush it. He'll come around. Just give him time."

Jade exhaled, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "Fine. We'll deal with it later."

But even as she said it, Jade knew that 'later' wasn't a solution. Sooner or later, the truth about her and Cat was going to come out, and it wasn't just Robbie she was worried about. Beck didn't know yet either, and if anyone had the right to have questions about it, it would be him.

For now, though, Jade pushed the thoughts aside. There was only so much she could handle in one day, and dealing with Robbie's drama wasn't a priority. Not yet, anyway.

Cat, on the other hand, sat quietly, her fingers nervously playing with the edge of her sleeve. She hated the idea of hurting her friends, especially someone like Robbie. But as much as she loved him, she loved Jade too, and keeping that balance was hard.

Later, the Blackbox Theatre was bustling with activity for the first dress and tech rehearsal of A Christmas Carol. The stage was set with a rustic, wintry backdrop of a cobblestone street. There was a soft fog from the haze machine, a flickering street lamp candle prop, all brought together to create the feel of Victorian London. Beck stood in the wings, rehearsing his lines as Ebenezer Scrooge, his commanding voice echoing throughout the space.

Cat was stood beside him fussing over the costume she'd made, now making the final adjustments, her face a mix of concentration and excitement. The costume was perfect for Scrooge—worn but not shabby, a long, dark green wool coat with gold buttons running down the front. A matching waistcoat peeked out underneath, paired with a white cravat and old-fashioned leather shoes. Beck looked every bit the part of the miserly old man, despite his youthful face.

"There," Cat said, stepping back to admire her handiwork. "You look like you're about to tell Tiny Tim to eat his vegetables or something!"

Beck smirked, straightening the collar of his coat. "I'm supposed to be Scrooge, Cat, not a grandpa."

Cat giggled. "Well, either way, you're gonna knock it out of the park. I'm so proud of you!"

Beck's smile softened. "Thanks, Cat. And this costume is amazing, seriously. I feel like I just stepped out of 19th-century London."

Cat beamed, her cheeks flushing slightly. "I'm glad you like it! I tried to make it look, like, old and fancy but not too fancy, y'know?"

"You nailed it," Beck assured her, turning back toward the stage. "This coat actually makes me want to say 'Bah, humbug' for real."

Cat giggled again, but the sound was cut off when she spotted Robbie climbing up a ladder on the side of the stage, adjusting the lighting rigs overhead. Her smile faltered. Things had been awkward between them ever since the Karaoke Dokie incident. She had apologised already, but Robbie was still a bit sour, and it hurt knowing she had upset him.

She hesitated for a moment, glancing over at Jade, who was leaning against the back wall with her arms crossed, watching the rehearsal with a bored expression. Jade caught her eye and gave her a small nod, as if silently telling her it was okay to talk to Robbie again.

Cat took a deep breath, gathering her courage, and made her way over to the ladder.

"Robbie?" she called up to him softly.

Robbie glanced down from his perch, his expression neutral. "Yeah?"

Cat twirled a lock of her red hair nervously. "I just… I wanted to say sorry again. About Karaoke Dokie. I didn't mean to leave you out. It wasn't on purpose, I promise."

Robbie sighed, wiping his hands on his pants as he stepped down from the ladder. He still looked a little hurt, but the initial sharpness in his eyes had faded. "It's fine, Cat," he said, though his voice still carried a hint of disappointment. "I mean, it's not like you guys did it on purpose. I just… I don't know, I felt kinda left out, that's all."

Cat's heart sank. "I hate that you feel that way. You're my friend, and I don't want you to think you're not important to me. You are, Robbie. Like, super-duper important."

Robbie's lips twitched, as if he wanted to smile but couldn't quite manage it. "I get it, Cat. It's just, you and Jade… it feels like things are different now."

Cat's eyes widened, her heart racing as she realised Robbie had noticed how close she and Jade had become. "Different?"

Robbie shrugged, still avoiding her gaze. "I mean, you guys hang out a lot now. I'm not saying it's bad, it's just… I miss hanging out with you too."

Cat felt a wave of guilt wash over her. She had been spending more time with Jade lately, especially since they started dating, but she hadn't meant to neglect Robbie or anyone else. "I didn't mean to leave you out," she said softly, her voice full of sincerity. "You're still super important to me, Robbie. I promise."

Robbie finally looked at her, his expression softening. "Thanks, Cat. I appreciate that. I just… I guess I've been feeling a little left out, that's all."

Cat nodded, reaching out to give his arm a gentle squeeze. "I understand. And I'll make sure to invite you next time, okay? No more leaving Robbie behind."

Robbie smiled, albeit faintly. "Okay."

"Okay," Cat echoed, relieved that the tension between them seemed to be easing. She glanced up at the lighting rig above, then back at Robbie. "So, how's the lighting going? It looks pretty awesome up there."

Robbie's smile grew a bit more genuine. "Yeah, it's coming together. I'm still tweaking a few things, but I think it'll look good once we're done."

"Of course it will! You're the best lighting guy in the world," Cat said brightly, earning a small chuckle from Robbie.

As they talked, Beck called out from the stage. "Robbie, can we try the spotlights again?"

Robbie nodded, giving Cat a quick wave before climbing back up the ladder. "On it!"

Cat watched him go, feeling a little lighter. She knew things weren't completely back to normal between them, but at least they were getting there. As she walked back toward the costume rack, she caught Jade's eye again. Jade raised an eyebrow in question, and Cat gave her a small nod in response.

Jade uncrossed her arms, pushing off the wall to join her at the rack. "How'd it go?"

Cat smiled softly. "I think we're okay now. He's still a little sad, but I think he'll come around."

Jade shrugged. "He'll get over it. He always does."

Cat nodded, though she couldn't help but feel a pang of worry. Robbie meant a lot to her, and she didn't want him to feel like he was being pushed aside. But she also didn't want to rush into telling him, or anyone else, about her and Jade just yet.

"Everything good?" Beck called from the stage, pulling Cat from her thoughts.

She turned and gave him a thumbs-up. "Yeah! Everything's perfect. You look amazing."

Beck chuckled, adjusting his coat again. "Well, I have the best costume designer in the business."

Cat grinned, her worries momentarily forgotten as the rehearsal continued. The play was coming together, and despite everything, she felt a sense of pride in the work she had done, and in the friendships that, no matter how complicated, still mattered to her.